Tag: 2011 Recruiting

If I Had My Druthers . . . Wide Receivers

California wide receiver George Farmer

This is the order in which I would rank the receivers Michigan has offered.  Star rankings don’t matter, the likelihood of a commit doesn’t matter, etc.; these rankings are purely based on my ideal team.

1. George Farmer
Has great speed and acceleration for a good-sized kid (6’2″, 192 lbs.), high points the ball, and can run after the catch.

2. Devin Lucien
Only average speed, but runs excellent routes.  Catches the ball well with his hands, has good size, and high points the ball.

3. Curt Evans
Good speed and excellent after the catch.  A bit of a showboater.

4. Darius Jennings
If you want an example of highlights that are clearly doctored and sped up to make a kid look faster, check out this kid’s video.  Still, he’s fast and elusive.  Could play inside or outside.

5. Hakeem Flowers
Good athleticism.  Not afraid to go over the middle.  Doesn’t adjust well to the ball in the air, doesn’t high point the ball, catches with his body.

6. Miles Shuler
Great speed.  Runs tentatively and isn’t extremely shifty.

7. Prince Holloway
Small-ish slot receiver.  Not a need in this class.  Reminds me Roy Roundtree with body control and elusiveness, albeit smaller.

8. Darius Patton
Small-ish slot receive type, a position that Michigan doesn’t need to recruit at this point.

9. Shane Wynn
Tiny, extremely shifty and elusive.  At 5’6″ and with limited position versatility, not a need at this point.

Chesapeake Bowl: December 30, 2010. Anyone interested?

Running back Malcolm Crockett

On December 30, 2010, the Chesapeake Bowl will be taking place in Towson, Maryland.  There are several recruits involved who might be of interest to Michigan fans, although not many are potential commits at this point.

The North roster includes WR Damiere Byrd, S Dondi Kirby, S Sheldon Royster, DE Desimon Green, WR Bill Belton, LB Armstead Williams, LB Ben Kline, CB Kyshoen Jarrett, DE Deion Barnes, OT Paul Gaughan, OG Rob Trudo, and TE Jack Tabb.

The South roster includes WR Darius Jennings, DT Vincent Croce, RB Malcolm Crockett, DT Kevin McReynolds, DT Darian Cooper, and OT Cyrus Kouandjio.

I am considering making the trek to Towson for the game.  It’s not a certainty because I might be out of town and visiting family, but if anyone else in the area is interested in meeting at the game, feel free to comment here and/or e-mail me at [email protected].

Justice Hayes, Wolverine

Grand Blanc running back Justice Hayes

Running back Justice Hayes, from Grand Blanc, MI, committed to the Wolverines on Monday night.  Hayes is a 5’10”, 182 lb. running back/slot receiver who’s a 4-star recruit to all three recruiting services.  Rivals is the biggest fan of Hayes, giving him the #84 ranking overall and placing him as the #3 all-purpose back in the nation.  Those are pretty high accolades.

Up until a couple days ago, Hayes was a Notre Dame commitment.  He committed to the Fighting Irish in July 2010 and seemed solidly in their corner.  However, after attending a recent game in South Bend, he stated that there were a “couple situations” in South Bend that made him uncomfortable.  It didn’t take him long to call his recruiter at Michigan, running backs coach Fred Jackson, and make a commitment to the Wolverines.

As for Hayes’s high school production, he injured his wrist three games into his senior season and missed the majority of his final year due to that injury.  However, he had solid seasons as a sophomore and junior.  As a tenth grader in 2008, Hayes carried the ball 163 times for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns.  He followed that up with 175 carries for 1,295 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Hayes also caught 41 passes for 447 yards over those two seasons.

According to GoBlueWolverine.com, Hayes committed to Michigan as an “athlete.”  This does not surprise me.  Michigan has a similar (but better) back already in the fold for the Class of 2011, Demetrius Hart.  Hayes catches the ball out of the backfield well, and he runs with kind of a slashing, herky jerky motion.  He has a variety of moves and looks nearly impossible to tackle one-on-one.  In some ways, he reminds me of a taller Jeremy Gallon.

What Hayes lacks is ideal size and top-end speed.  He doesn’t exactly run away from defenses, and while he runs through some tackles by picking up his feet and keeping them moving, he won’t run over anybody.  When I ranked uncommitted backs in June, Hayes checked in at #5 on my list (Dee Hart was #2).

I think the position in which Hayes would be most effective is slot receiver.  Hart is a more dynamic runner and has better speed, so I’d like Hart to get more touches from the backfield.  However, as I said above, Hayes is spectacular in open space.  I would like to see him catching some bubble screens and getting to the edge one-on-one.  That would also give the team the slot receiver they desired in the 2011 class, as evidenced by the offers to Prince Holloway, DeVondrick Nealy, and Shane Wynn, among others.

Hayes is commitment #13 in the Class of 2011.  Barring any early departures or transfers, there should be approximately nine spots left in the class.

TTB Rating: 72

Dallas Crawford, Wolverine

Dallas Crawford (#4) committed to the Wolverines on Friday.

Last Friday Dallas Crawford called up Michigan’s coaches and told them that he would be joining their defensive backfield in 2011.  Crawford is current a quarterback/safety for South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, FL.  At 5’10” and 180 lbs., he’s a 3-star recruit to both Scout and Rivals, but a 4-star to ESPN.  He chose Michigan over offers from Georgia Tech, Iowa, Miami, North Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, and West Virginia, among others.

Elite high school defensive backs often play free safety; opponents can fairly easily run and throw away from a cornerback for an entire game.  That holds true with Crawford as well, who racked up 10 interceptions as a junior and already has 8 this season (his team is still in the playoffs). 

As mentioned above, though, Crawford also plays quarterback.  I really like prospects who play quarterback for their high school teams – not only because teams usually put their best athletes at quarterback, but because quarterbacks are usually intelligent and have good awareness of the entire field.  That’s one of the main reasons I like Desmond Morgan as a linebacker prospect, too; when he’s not playing linebacker, he’s behind center.

I like what Crawford offers as a defensive back on his merits solely on that side of the ball, too.  He does a good job of going up to get the ball at its highest point, and he breaks on the ball quickly.  He’s also a quick-twitch athlete and can make people miss when he gets the ball in his hands, not a long strider like some of Michigan’s other cornerbacks.  Perhaps the most impressive thing about Crawford is that, despite his middling size, he’s a very solid tackler.  Many high school coaches don’t even want their quarterbacks playing defense, let alone flying into ballcarriers at full speed like #4 does.

I’m not sure how much Crawford’s commitment affects his teammate Sammy Watkins, a stellar wide receiver recruit.  The two are not a package deal and Watkins reportedly has Clemson as his leader.  Regardless, I really like the Crawford commitment.  He’s a playmaker at a position that currently lacks them.  I like him more as a cornerback than any of Michigan’s cornerback recruits in the last few years, save Demar Dorsey (who obviously never arrived on campus).  And yes, that includes the highly touted Cullen Christian.  How immediately Crawford makes an impact at Michigan probably depends on what position Troy Woolfolk plays in 2011 when he returns from that ankle injury, but Michigan finally seems to be gathering some depth at a position that sorely needed it.

2011 Offer Board Update

Cornerback Blake Countess (#1)

The 2011 Offer Board has been updated:

DeAnthony Arnett (WR) committed to Tennessee.

Added Blake Countess (CB).

Charles Jackson (CB) committed to Nebraska.

Added Tre Mason (SB).

Sean Duggan (ILB) committed to Boston College.

Added Desmond Morgan (ILB).

AJ Jordan (WR) committed to Wisconsin.